Help! My chickens will NOT stop pecking.....

[mlm77]

I introduced 2 new Easter Eggers to my flock of 12 Pullets/Bantums. I have since had to keep the Easter Eggers seperate from all the others.

I almost lost one of the Easter Eggers due to all the pecking. I love all my girls, but enough is enough. I just recently heard that if I hung a piece of Beef Liver in their coop, in a week all their pecking issues will stop. Has anyone else heard of or tried this??? Any help on pecking issues will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[redsoxs]

Chickens peck out of boredom sometimes and sometimes because something is lacking in their diet. I would isolate the pecked hen - but keep her close to the others so the pecking order doesn't change. Maybe a change of scenery in the coop will make things better. Good luck to you!

 

[bj taylor]

i had a brief problem w/pecking when they were chicks. i used blu kote on their wounds that had the added benefit of hiding the wounds from the others & therefore helped prevent pecking. at the time my problem was they had outgrown their brooder & got bored.

 

[Mrs. K]

it might be a size difference, or a space problem. It is funny how two more hens, can all of a sudden be too many hens in a coop/run.

 

[donrae]

I agree, how much space do you have? Are there things to hide behind, somewhere the new girls can get away from the established flock?

 

[mlm77]

Thanks for all the advice~ But have any of you heard of putting beef liver in the coop? They hunt the easter eggers down when they are all outside.... But when they are put up, they are seperated! They have to be seperated, until I can find a way to stop all this pecking! Or, I could get rid of the 2 remaining peckers?? And then see what happens? IDK, Just want them all to live happy happy happy!!

Thanks again!!

 

[Mrs. K]

well, they probably won't live happy, happy. They might get to a point to tolerate each other, but once you have serious pecking, it can be a bugger to get rid of. I would definitely get rid of the two peckers and see. If things settle down, that might be the ideal number of full grown hens for that set-up. Personally, I can see the tension building in my own set up, when I get to 14 head of full grown chickens, 12 is doable, 10 is better, but 14 causes problems, especially in the winter, when they are confined most of the time.

As for the liver, it will stink. However, I do know an old chicken lady, whose husband was a trapper, and often she would throw the skinned varmit into the run, she thought it did reduce pecking, and was a good protein source, but she told me, don't tell anyone, cause it would upset some of my customers. Chicken do like meat.

MrsK

 

[aart]

How much room do they have both in coop and run?
They may just be establishing pecking order with the newcomers and you have to let it play out as long as there is room for the peckees to get away.

 

[mlm77]

Hi, I have 6 girls & 2 roos in a very large coop. They also run loose in the yard weather permitting. I do NOT put the "peckees" in the coop with the rest. They have been seperated since the first incident. Although, I do release the other 2 girls when the others are out. The "peckers' always seem to find the "peckees" wherever they are while roaming.... I am getting ready to acquire more chicks in the next week or so... I definitely DO NOT want this happening everytime I bring new girls home.... Thanks for all the advice!

 

[aart]

First post says 2 added to 12, now it's only 8?
How many feet by feet large is very large?
Hopefully you have room to have a few seperate pens to control introducing new birds and confining problem birds.
And have you given any thought to quarantining new birds so you don't possible infect your exesting flock?